Volunteers, Clapp made Honor Flight a success

On Oct. 18, I had the privilege of accompanying two well-deserving World War II veterans on the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., to see the World War II monument. We were also taken to see many of the other monuments and memorials, points of interest, ending at Arlington National Cemetery for the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

I was extremely impressed by the many strangers who approached these vets, thanking one and all for their service to the country. The two veterans I was guardian for were David Deaver of Cedar Rapids and Harold Suchomel of Mount Vernon. This could not have taken place without the many people who volunteered many hundreds of hours of planning, organizing and preparation for this flight. The entire day went off without even one problem.

The one person who deserves a tremendous amount of gratitude is Mary Clapp of Marion. She was the go-to lady for the entire event and she had it all nailed perfectly.

The return to The Eastern Iowa Airport at 10:15 p.m. was something no one will ever easily forget - the most impressive thing I have ever experienced.

If you know a veteran who would like to do this, please take them for a day they will always treasure. They all deserve to go.

Kevin Lynch

Mount Vernon